How to best engage with a recruiter

As recruiters, we know a thing or two about engaging other recruiters.?

There are many factors you’ll want to consider when it comes to picking the right recruiter (or agency) for your business.

1. Find one that stands out from the rest (for good reasons). If they put the time and effort into marketing themselves and their clients, they’ll likely do the same for you.
2. Agree on expectations. If you need someone by the end of the week, or your budget only stretches to 15% of a certain salary band, be clear on that from the start. It’ll save a lot of back and forth and time wasted for both parties.
3. Don’t settle for the bare minimum.

You’ll want to find a recruitment partner who knows your industry. Some people say they recruit into all industries, but their knowledge and understanding of what you want and where best to find it won’t be as good as someone who recruits exclusively into your world. That’s not just because we’re hoping that you’ve landed here because you’re looking for a tech recruiter, but in case you are…

?Look at how they advertise live roles. There’s a lot to be said for an agency that takes the way they position open jobs seriously. If it looks like they’ve done more than the bare minimum research when writing them up, you’ll be in safe hands. Something that speaks to the reader and understands their interests is a good place to start.

??If they’ve come to you to fill a position you’ve got advertised, or through a prospective reach out, how much research have they done on your company? Do they know what you do or were you just another number to hit sales targets? You probably want a recruiter that listens more than they talk (although truth be told, we’re all talkers!)?

?If you’re on the hunt for a recruiter that’ll work well with you specifically, you’ll find the good ones (and bad ones too) on LinkedIn. It might sound obvious, but where better to be hanging out all day than on the business networking platform. Most active recruiters will have a good network on there, and if they don’t, they should be able to point you in the direction of another recruiter who does.

?If you’re struggling with where to start on searching for an agency online, put out a post on LinkedIn asking for recommendations, and go from there. You’ll be inundated. A little digging through socials and company websites should show you how they position themselves, so you can decide if this lines up with you.

?Get terms signed and make sure everyone understands the next steps - so you can avoid having to chase up the details later and save yourself from nasty surprises. This will be part and parcel of the process if you’ve found a good recruiter. Make sure you find out everything a potential candidate will need to know, so you can relay that information before a recruiter starts to work on your job.

Some recruiters will work retained (part payment upfront) and some will work on a contingent (payment upon completion) basis. This doesn’t reflect how good a recruiter is, but it is likely to reflect the time and energy they’ll put into filling your role.?

?Looking for a forward-thinking tech recruitment agency who knows the German market inside out? Then your best bet is to engage THRYVE.